Happy long weekend everyone. I sincerely hope that all of you are sharing some peaceful, joy filled moments over this holiday in spite of the chaos going on in the world.

I woke up this morning, as always, with brain engaged and clicking ideas at me. The idea of words is weighing heavily on my mind today, how they direct our thoughts, our creativity, our hopes and fears, and how changing just a few words can possibly change many things.

I was thinking of illness and adversity. It is quite common to hear phrases like,

“She is fighting cancer. He is battling depression.”

”They struggle with financial woes.”

Words are the most powerful magic we possess. With words one can wound or heal, lift up or tear down, encourage or depress and change the course of any given moment. Suppose then, in the statements above, although they may be true as they are, the key words were changed. What if…

”She is on a quest to heal herself.”

“His mission is to overcome depression.”

”They are challenged by the cost of living.”

This may sound trite or overly simple, but it isn’t. When we choose words that move toward positive feelings, stir and encourage empowerment over struggle and defeat, it arms us with what we need most to be successful in any situation-hope.

There is a wonderful series of books and audio programs written about the law of attraction-drawing to us that which we desire. The first one I read was The Vortex by Esther and Jerry Hicks. While there is so much to glean from this series, the primary idea that stuck with me refers to our tendency, as humans, to focus on the negative things in our lives rather than what we envision that life to be.

Many of us do this without even realizing it. Often, we pray to God, “I always find bad partners. I never meet nice men/women.  People don’t like me. I don’t want to be ugly.“

What if, instead, we banish he words “bad”, “can’t” and “never” from our thoughts, prayers, wishes and ideas. Then our hope might become, “God, send me the person who will share a life of joy and happiness with me. Let others see my true beauty. Help me to be the kind of friend I need in another person.” Keep the thought of perfection clearly in your mind and, difficult as it may be, send the memory of the ‘bad’ experiences into the abyss of the past. It also helps to be thankful for what you desire before it manifests.

“I am thankful that my interview will go perfectly. This job is mine if that is where I will be most productive, happy and prosperous.”

Instead of…

“I hope they don’t hate me. I can’t lose another job or my family will starve!”.

The thoughts that you hold in your mind and heart become your reality. In a universe where God, Providence-whatever power you believe in-wants your deepest desires to be manifested for you, what you focus on will come to you.

Consider those moments when you think to yourself, “I have to stop eating junk food even though it is easy and lets me be with my friends.” In the next moment a coworker suggests you go out to your favorite burger joint to celebrate her birthday.

Instead, what if the thought becomes, “My health is important to me so I am thankful there are so many choices for me to improve my diet.” Pop. Someone shares their new gluten free recipes with you. This has happened to me. Scouts honor.

Hey, I read the books, I’ve applied these principles to my life and it does work. Do I slip into my Pity Party clothes and sink into old negative mode at times? Of course I do, those times do not linger as long as they used to.

I wish society as a whole could embrace this idea. It isn’t about being ‘politically correct’ but about spreading positive energy into a world that is becoming fraught with more negativity each day.

You can read the books or try it without ever reading a word. I love the books because they made me feel less alone in the world, less like my own little freak show.

Look, in spite of the fact that much of what is in the book some of you might want to pass off as ‘hokey’, the message is a wonderful one. I’m sure in Christ’s time what he was trying to convey, what he did by way of miracles and magic, seemed very hokey to many people. But his message has survived because it was a good one.

Unconditional love, forgiveness, no judgment, non violence, acceptance, wisdom, kindness, peace in the world of chaos. 

I see many religions with these basic themes, including Christianity, but see the ideals and fundamental foundation of their faith being crushed beneath the weight of righteousness, bigotry, anger, retribution and judgment. At the heart of it all lies fear. There is no greater enemy than fear. It serves no good purpose. I truly do not believe in ‘good’ or ‘evil’ as conditions we either succumb or aspire to. They exist within every one of us and must be balanced in order for peace to ever find its way into this dream we call life. Existence knows two emotions at its core…Love and Fear. One brings peace and comfort…the other seeks to destroy that which it does not understand or accept.

I plan to carry my hope into this holiday season, to seek those who live with their inner Light shining in spite of the Fear rising in humanity.  After all, it only takes one candle to light the darkness..

Use your words with the power they were intended.

 

There is no fear in perfect love~The Bible

Nothing real can be threatened. Nothing unreal exists. Herein lies the peace of God.~A Course in Miracles. 

Be the miracle you seek in the World…

---